Abstract: Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a catheter shaft. An expandable member may be coupled to the catheter shaft. The expandable member may be capable of shifting between a folded configuration and an expanded configuration. A plurality of flexible elements may be attached to the expandable member, with a plurality of electrode assemblies disposed on the flexible elements. The flexible elements may have a grooved substrate.

Abstract: A method for ablating a patient, consisting of ascertaining a CHA2DS2-VASc score for the patient and inserting a probe into the patient, so as to contact a pulmonary vein of the patient. The method further includes applying energy via the probe so as to ablate the pulmonary vein until pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is achieved. When PVI is achieved and the CHA2DS2-VASc score is less than a preset value, ablation of the pulmonary vein is ceased. When PVI is achieved and the CHA2DS2-VASc score is greater than or equal to the preset value, energy is applied to perform a further ablation.

Abstract: In general, surgical devices including visual indicators thereon are provided. A user of the device therefore may quickly visually ascertain various operational details of the surgical device and/or various pieces of information about the device and/or tissue of a patient being operated on.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a medical system includes a catheter configured to be inserted into a body part of a living subject, and including a deflectable element having a distal end, an expandable distal end assembly disposed at the distal end of the deflectable element, and comprising a plurality of electrodes, a distal portion, and a proximal portion, and configured to expand from a collapsed form to an expanded deployed form, and a stretchable irrigation tube disposed between the distal portion and the proximal portion, and comprising a plurality of irrigation holes, and configured to stretch longitudinally when the distal end assembly is collapsed from the expanded deployed form to the collapsed form.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for a surgical instrument for cutting and sealing tissue. In some embodiments, the surgical instrument includes a handle assembly, a shaft, and an end effector. The end effector may include: a blade that vibrates at an ultrasonic frequency, a shielded portion enclosing a back edge of the blade, a high-friction surface coupled to the shielded portion and positioned between the shielded portion and the back edge of the blade. A space is defined between the high-friction surface and the back edge of the blade when the end effector is in a cutting configuration. In a sealing configuration, the high-friction surface contacts the back edge of the blade, which generates heat based on ultrasonic vibrations of the blade rubbing against the high-friction surface. The shielded portion can coagulate bleeding tissue based on heat transfer from the high-friction surface to the shielded portion.

Abstract: A system to be used inside a dialysis unit for dilating obstructed blood vessel, comprises a catheter, a device, a remote-control box, supportive components and connection cables. A catheter comprises an elongated portion, a proximal end and a distal end, extended longitudinally. A distal end of a catheter has a convectively heating tip with a heat generating element and an inflatable balloon. A device has a radiofrequency current generator to supply and control a heating process of a heat generating element of a catheter tip. A remote-control box comprises a valve assembly, a heat activation switch and a balloon inflation switch to facilitate a treatment process.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a flexible electrically-insulating substrate including an inner surface and an outer surface. The substrate is shaped to define multiple channels passing between the inner surface and the outer surface, at least some of the channels being concave channels. The apparatus further includes an outer layer of an electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the outer surface, an inner layer of the electrically-conducting metal covering at least part of the inner surface, and respective columns of the electrically-conducting metal that fill the channels such as to connect the outer layer to the inner layer.

Abstract: A medical device is disclosed. The medical device comprises a bipolar forceps including a jaw assembly. The jaw assembly comprises a first jaw body; a second jaw body; and a sealing plate. A therapy current can be passed between the sealing plate and the first jaw body. The therapy current can be restricted from passing between the first jaw body and the second jaw body. The therapy current can be restricted from passing between the sealing plate and the second jaw body.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a catheter shaft assembly and an end effector. The catheter shaft assembly includes an outer sheath with a distal end. The end effector is associated with a distal end of the catheter shaft assembly. The end effector includes a plurality of leaflets. The leaflets are configured to transition between a first configuration and a second configuration. The leaflets are configured to fit within the outer sheath in the first configuration. The leaflets are configured to expand outwardly away from the longitudinal axis in the second configuration in response to being exposed distally relative to the distal end of the outer sheath. Each leaflet includes a flexible body and a plurality of electrodes. Each flexible body defines a plurality of openings. The electrodes are positioned on the flexible body.

Abstract: A medical apparatus includes a probe configured for insertion into a body of a patient. The probe includes a plurality of electrodes configured to contact tissue within the body. The medical apparatus further includes an electrical signal generator configured to apply between one or more pairs of the electrodes signals of first and second types in alternation. The signals of the first type include a sequence of bipolar pulses having an amplitude sufficient to cause irreversible electrophoresis (IRE) in the tissue contacted by the electrodes. The signals of the second type include a radio-frequency (RF) signal having a power sufficient to thermally ablate the tissue contacted by the electrodes.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention may include a medical device. The medical device may include a flexible tube, an elongate member configured to cut tissue and extend from the flexible tube, and a cauterizing member configured to cauterize tissue and to move relative to the elongate member and the flexible tube. The cauterizing member may substantially surround at least a portion of the elongate member.

Abstract: The subject of this disclosure is devices, systems, and uses thereof to treat a plurality of patients for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The solution can include delivering a multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter and a multi-electrode diagnostic catheter to one or more targeted pulmonary veins; ablating tissue of the one or more targeted pulmonary veins using the multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter; diagnosing the one or more targeted pulmonary veins using the multi-electrode diagnostic catheter; and achieving at least one of a predetermined clinical effectiveness and acute effectiveness of the method or use based on use of the multi-electrode radiofrequency balloon catheter and the multi-electrode diagnostic catheter in the isolation of the one or more targeted pulmonary veins.

Abstract: Bipolar electrosurgical forceps are provided with dual irrigating tubes that deliver irrigating liquid to the opposed surfaces of the tips of the forceps to prevent the sticking of body tissue to the tips. To reduce the manufacturing costs of the forceps and enable the forceps to be single use, disposable forceps, each tube of the dual irrigating tools is a plastic tube adhered along one of the opposing surfaces of the pair of forceps arms. Each tube also has a flat nozzle at the distal end of the tube that disburses irrigating liquid across the opposed surfaces of the forceps arm distal and tips.

Abstract: An electrosurgical controller and related methods. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including: placing a distal end of an electrosurgical wand in operational relationship with biological tissue; delivering energy to an active electrode of the electrosurgical wand. During delivering energy, the method may comprise: measuring a value indicative of flow of the energy to the active electrode; summing, over a first predetermined window of time, to create a first value indicative of energy provided to the active electrode; summing, over a second predetermined window of time, to create a second value indicative of energy provided to the active electrode. The method may further comprise: ceasing delivering energy responsive to the first value meeting or exceeding a predetermined value; and ceasing delivering energy responsive to the second value meeting or exceeding a threshold value.

Abstract: An electrosurgical device having first and second poles; blade electrode with a metal shim having two opposing faces and one or more facets, a nonconductive coating which covers at least the faces and a portion of the facets of the metal shim, while a distal portion of the one or more facets remains uncovered by the nonconductive coating; a lateral electrode comprised of a broad shim having one or more conductive faces and is placed parallel to the blade electrode so that at least one of the one or more conductive faces is exposed and a distal end of the blade electrode protrudes from the lateral electrode; the lateral electrode is fixed stationary relative to the blade electrode; the nonconductive coating insulates the blade electrode from the lateral electrode; and the first pole is connected to the blade electrode and the second pole is connected to the lateral electrode.

Abstract: Provided herein are new compositions, methods, and devices to treat cancer through a combination of immunologic chemotherapeutic agents and ablation techniques. These compositions can include immune checkpoint inhibitors, cytokines and nucleic acid drugs that aid in eliciting an immune response to treat the tumor. The administration of these compositions in addition to various ablating techniques provides a presentation of the cancer cell antigens to the immune system and the immunologic targeting of the cancer.

Abstract: A device for creating an arteriovenous (AV) fistula includes a proximal base having a distal tapered end surface and a distal tip connected to the proximal base and movable relative to the proximal base. The distal tip has a proximal tapered end surface. A first heating assembly, including an energized heating element, is disposed on at least one of the distal tapered end surface and the proximal tapered end surface. A second heating assembly, comprising a passive non-energized heat spreader, is disposed on the other one of the distal tapered end surface and the proximal tapered end surface. The distal tapered end surface and the proximal tapered end surface are adapted to contact opposing sides of a tissue portion to create the fistula. The taper of the proximal tapered end surface matches the taper of the distal tapered end surface, so that the two surfaces match one another.

Abstract: A method and system for automated and semi-automated predictable, consistent, safe, effective, and lumen-specific and patient-specific cryospray treatment of airway tissue in which treatment duration is automatically set by the system following entry of patient information and treatment location information into the system by the user, and treatment spray is automatically stopped by the system when the automatically selected treatment duration has been achieved as determined by the system.

Abstract: An electrosurgical device having an easily adjustable length, in which the entire length of the device can be easily adjusted by allowing a stretching member having a blade to be easily moved in a body by unlocking the stretching member in a one-touch button type. Therefore, an operator can easily insert the blade inside incised skin of a patient.

Abstract: Ablation electrode assemblies include an inner core member and an outer shell surrounding the inner core member. The inner core member and the outer shell define a space or separation region therebetween. The inner core member is constructed from a thermally insulative material having a reduced thermal conductivity. In an embodiment, the space is a sealed or evacuated region. In other embodiments, irrigation fluid flows within the space. The ablation electrode assembly further includes at least one thermal sensor in some embodiments. Methods for providing irrigation fluid during cardiac ablation of targeted tissue are disclosed that include calculating the energy delivered to irrigation fluid as it flows within the ablation electrode assembly through temperature measurement of the irrigation fluid. Pulsatile flow of irrigation fluid can be utilized in some embodiments of the disclosure.